Local SEO - The Expert’s Guide

Local SEO - The Expert’s GuideThe podcast where local SEO meets expert insight! Join host Joy Hawkins, CEO and owner of Sterling Sky, renowned local SEO specialist and a member of the Google Product Experts Program, as she dives deep with guests into the world of local search engine optimization, digital marketing, and SEO.

Local SEO - The Expert’s Guide is a business podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 20 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Unknown Host hosts Local SEO - The Expert’s Guide, a business show with 20 episodes published.

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  Episode #1

  What Holly Starks Changed After Leaving Black Hat SEO

  Sep 30, 202656 min

  Local SEO Audit https://www.sterlingsky.ca/local-seo/ Local SEO is changing fast. As AI reshapes search and Google's algorithms continue to evolve, many of the tactics agencies relied on just a few years ago aren't delivering the same results. The agencies staying ahead are the ones adapting their strategies now. In this webinar, I'm joined by Holly Starks to discuss how her approach has evolved since transitioning from black hat to white hat SEO, what's actually moving the needle in local SEO today, and where she believes agencies should be focusing as we head into 2026. We also dive into the impact of AI on search, the biggest mistakes agencies are still making, which processes are worth automating, and the practical systems Holly uses to do SEO more efficiently. If you own an SEO agency or manage Google Business Profiles for clients, you'll walk away with actionable insights you can start applying immediately. Chapters: 00:00 Local SEO Is Changing: AI, Rankings & What Works Now 03:11 How AI Is Changing Local SEO & Customer Leads 05:50 Cora Optimization, Keywords & Entity SEO 12:57 Content Pruning & On-Page SEO Strategies 17:39 Backlinks, Brand Authority & Link Disavows 24:52 Google Business Profile Audits & SEO Automation 34:01 Link Building, Trust Signals & SEO Risks 39:50 The Future of Google Maps, ChatGPT & AI Search 43:39 Google Business Profile Ranking Factors 46:41 Ranking in AI: Fan-Out Queries & YouTube SEO

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  Episode #9

  SEO’s Biggest Debates Right Now (with David Quaid)

  Aug 26, 20261h 26mS2026

  Local SEO Audit https://www.sterlingsky.ca/contact/ Is SEO broken, or just widely misunderstood? In this deep dive, Joy Hawkins is joined by SEO veteran David Quaid to tackle the most heated debates in the industry today. From the reality of "scaled content" penalties to the truth about how Google actually evaluates authority, David shares the forensic approach he’s used to help multiple startups scale past $100 million. What you’ll learn in this video: Communicating SEO Value: Why your clients aren't reading your PDF reports and how to tell a better story with data. The "Position 17" Rule: David’s specific strategy for identifying new content opportunities without cannibalizing your existing rankings. Indexing Deep Dive: The difference between "Discovered – currently not indexed" and "Crawled – currently not indexed," and the specific URL tweaks that can fix them. Internal Linking & Authority: Why you should limit your homepage to 10 key links and how to manage the "85% authority tax." The Truth About LLMs: How AI search engines like Gemini and Perplexity are changing referral traffic and how to track it using Looker Studio. Chapters 0:00 Is SEO Broken? 1:44 David’s Background: Scaling Startups to $250M 4:07 Why Clients Don’t See SEO Value 7:22 What Will Replace Rankings? 12:17 The Truth About AI Reporting (Search Console vs. Reality) 22:11 The Process for Finding New Content 30:10 When to Start a New Domain (EMDs) 33:41 The Danger of Service Area Pages 45:16 Fix: Discovered vs. Crawled Not Indexed 54:02 Internal Linking & Authority Shaping 57:05 Content Pruning vs. Managing Authority 1:06:45 URL Slugs: Short vs. Long About Sterling Sky Inc: We specialize in helping local businesses grow through data-driven SEO strategies. If you’re seeing traffic drops or need a professional audit of your local search presence, reach out to us at: https://www.sterlingsky.ca/ Connect with David Quaid: Follow David on X or LinkedIn for more deep-technical SEO insights. https://x.com/DavidGQuaid https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidquaid/ #SEO #LocalSEO #GoogleAlgorithm #SearchEngineOptimization #DigitalMarketing EP 26126 READY TO TAKE YOUR LOCAL SEO TO THE NEXT LEVEL? Websites: https://www.sterlingsky.ca/ https://localu.org/ https://localsearchforum.com/ Blogs: https://www.sterlingsky.ca/blog/ https://localu.org/blog/

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  Episode #1

  Ex-Googlers Reveal 3 Google Business Profile Secrets | Brad Wetherall & Joel Headley

  Jun 24, 20261 hour

  https://www.sterlingsky.ca/local-seo/ In Part 1 of this exclusive Episode, I sit down with former Google employees Joel Headley and Brad Wetherall to uncover what really happens behind the scenes of Google Business Profiles, and what business owners often get completely wrong. Why reviews disappear, why edits don’t stick, and why support often feels like a dead end. We break down how Google actually evaluates trust, filters reviews, and decides what gets published or ignored. If you rely on Google Maps to drive calls, leads, or foot traffic, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss. Links: https://www.thegbpexperts.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradwetherall/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelheadley/ Chapters 00:00 Introduction : Why your Google reviews disappear and profiles get suspended 00:47 Meet the Former Googlers : Intro of Brad Weatherall and Joel Headley 01:41 The Mystery of Missing Reviews : Understanding the cyclical nature of review removals 03:46 The Balancing Act : How Google experiments with algorithms and causes collateral damage 05:51 Why Seasonality Matters : Why Google avoids major algorithm tweaks in Q4 07:22 Behind the Scenes : How Google targets spam and uses automated scripts 12:18 Review Parties and Proximity Signals : The risks of getting too many reviews at one location 15:34 Tactics for Getting Filtered Reviews to Stick : Discussion on editing reviews and profile links 17:48 The "Recaptcha" Logic in Reviews : How mouse movement impacts Google's trust 21:44 New Google Guidelines : Speculation on why Google discourages mentioning employee names 27:10 Do Reviews Ever Truly Get Deleted? : Understanding the hidden database where content is stored 31:04 One Google, Many Teams : Why advice contradicts enforcement across Policy, Product, and Support 33:36 Is Reaching Out to Support Worth It? : The reality of modern automated machine decision-making 39:13 Pro-Tips for Navigating Support Levels : Understanding Levels 1, 2, and 3 and the language trick 53:48 The "Escape Hatch" : How to trigger the manual verification process 59:49 Coming Up on Part 2 : Teaser for the next episode on negative reviews and suspensions Ep 26102 pt1 #localseo #seo #localsearch __________________________________________ Grow Your Business With Local SEO At Sterling Sky, we're passionate about helping businesses like yours achieve their local SEO goals. We know that the digital landscape can be confusing and ever-changing, so we've made it our mission to provide you with the expert guidance and support your need to succeed. We've helped countless businesses achieve their local SEO goals, and we're confident that we can help you do the same. READY TO TAKE YOUR LOCAL SEO TO THE NEXT LEVEL? Websites: https://www.sterlingsky.ca/ https://localu.org/ https://localsearchforum.com/ Blogs: https://www.sterlingsky.ca/blog/ https://localu.org/blog/

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  Episode #1

  2026 SEO Secrets That Ranked 1,000+ Sites (James Dooley)

  May 27, 20261h 30mS0

  <p>In this episode, we sit down with SEO legend James Dooley, who has built and ranked over 1,000 domains and generated more than 2 million enquiries online. If you’re wondering how to rank a website on Google in 2026, this is the conversation you need to hear. <br> <br> We break down: <br> 🔹The exact SEO strategies working right now <br> 🔹When duplicate content becomes a real problem <br> 🔹Whether brand matters more than backlinks <br> 🔹Plus: how AI traffic compares to Google traffic today. <br> <br> If you’re a business owner, agency, or SEO trying to stay ahead of Google’s algorit...

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  Episode #1

  The 2026 Google Business Profile Review Trends You Can’t Ignore | Claudia Tomina

  Apr 22, 20261h 38mS0

  <p>Ever had a customer swear they left a 5-star review, but it never appears or vanishes without a trace? With sophisticated artificial intelligence and advanced pattern recognition capabilities, algorithms are getting better at identifying unusual activity.</p> <p> </p> <p>This video explains how 'missing reviews' and spikes in customer review volume can flag your online reputation, especially on platforms like Google Reviews. It's not just random; ai models are becoming incredibly adept at detecting fake reviews and other anomalies.</p> <p> </p> <p>🔗 Show Links & Resources</p> <p> </p> <p>📈 Local SEO Research & Reports</p> <p>◼Google Map Pack Study...

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